Friday, November 19, 2010

Is the economy improving?


Its a long ways back, but in California exports point to "yes it is."

From the Los Angeles Times 11/10/10, statistical source Beacon Economics.  If tech is going to lead the state out of the recession, statistics from SFO indicate that a resurgence might be well underway. Exports from SFO in the first six months of the year totaled $10.3 billion, a 34.6% increase over the first half of 2009, according to Beacon Economics. Meanwhile, exports from the Port of Oakland, which travel by sea, totaled $4.5 billion, up 21.6% over the first half of last year.  That means manufacturers might need to start hiring new employees soon. The main exports from SFO are medical instruments, pharmaceuticals and a lot of the high-value software and computer-processor chips made in Silicon Valley said Jock O’Connell, international trade expert at Beacon Economics. It’s good news that other countries are starting to demand these goods again.The Bay Area seems to be gathering itself up after the latest storm,” he said.About half of trade overall in California, by value, goes by air, O’Connell said. That’s down from what it was in the dot-com boom. But the share is staring to grow again.“ The unemployment rates for the major Bay Area counties are all below the statewide rate, whereas L.A. County is slightly above that rate,” O'Connell said.

Posted by Kathy Meeh
 

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting how every other article I read about California exports is the opposite. I read China buys big Washington State apples and almond rocha candy. California credit rating has been downgraded, making it difficult to attract buyers of our products. We missed the mark on green tech, China beat California. We make green tech for ourselves, what other choice do we have, cause no one else will buy it. Hopefully it will work out and attract buyers. California is betting an awful lot on their green technology they keep promising but is slow to get off the ground.

Anonymous said...

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/17/3190994/dan-walters-california-bets-big.html

California Bets Big On Green

Kathy Meeh said...

"Exports from SFO in the first six months of the year totaled $10.3 billion, a 34.6% increase over the first half of 2009, according to Beacon Economics. Meanwhile, exports from the Port of Oakland, which travel by sea, totaled $4.5 billion, up 21.6% over the first half of last year."

That's not conjecture, but fact from Beacon Economics, which compiles such information and reports for the State. Better than last year, a hopeful sign.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ZnfG6wgQ4&feature=player_embedded#!

Another informative and helpful video explaining our predicament.

Anonymous said...

Here is a really good article about California's Exports.

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/03/3073140/californias-exports-surge-jobs.html

Anonymous said...

Another funny video about a rich businessman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsZpWej8pF4

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 2:46pm, very good Sacramento Bee article, compatible with this blog article. Keep in mind or even so, employment is a lagging indicator to initial economic activity.

Example, if a business keeps churning-out more "widgets", some people will eventually get employed part-time, then full-time-- and, there will be spin-off activity for raw product, shipping, advertising, accounting. (Of course, at the same time other companies continue to lay-off employees, fail, or thrive on their own).

Anon 2:50pm, of national "stimulus money", some has been spent, some not-- of the $700 billion, $300 billion are tax cuts (with a small business I got mine). More money has been needed for stimulus, not less. Even though those cartoons are "cute" and persuasive, the information is faulty and misleading.

Anonymous said...

I guess you did not watch the funny business man video. Like it said, "private sector is in business to make a profit, not create jobs" With private sector not knowing what kind of tax cuts or tax increases that will be taking place in the coming new year, no jobs will be created.

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 8:51pm, I've heard the "tax uncertainty" expressed by Republican congress members, but realistically most business people I know of (all who don't like paying taxes any more than you do), don't think that way-- they think about doing business. Try this: Lower taxes are the icing on the cake, not the cake.

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 8:51pm, I saw the video. "Funny business man" is in the $200,000 income category, and received tax benefits for the business this year.

The problem category is that of the most wealthy 2%. Renewing the 10 year additional tax benefits for this category is considered an ineffective economy strategy for government ("we the people").

The top federal tax category is currently 35%, among the lowest since 1913. At least move that category back to where it was 10 years ago (think it was 38%). That amounts to something like $700 billion per year.

My view, even better: raise taxes on the most wealthy 2% another 3%. Why not? Political campaign funding for politicians. Solution for that: take most of the financial incentive out of politics. Will it happen? Probably not in my lifetime, maybe yours.

jim alex said...

Construction and Real Estate has always taken California out of recessions. California has been hit with a perfect storm of the credit crunch, property values falling over 50% in some areas or more, Construction down month after month, foreclosures at record highs.

For every one container of goods we send overseas China, sends us 10.

I heard something the other day that we only send Korea 6,100 cars per year and they send us over 600,000

California also has a 3 year shadow and foreclosed home inventory. That means if not another foreclosure goes back to the bank it will take 3 years to sell them all..

I don't think I really have to go into the Arnold CA budget mess do I??

Anonymous said...

Tax Cuts=Keep your Money.

The math is very simple. Raising taxes hurts the middle and low income groups. The insanely rich will never be taxed. Even if you raise taxes on the 1% those people have already set up shelters to hide their wealth. You really think they are going to allow our bankrupt banana republic government to take their money?

People who make $117,000.00 a year, according to Pres Obama, are considered the top 2% wealthy in America. Fools. All of us. Americans don't read the fine print.

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 9:06am, "...the average income of the top earners is...$84 million each," Bloomberg 11/1/10. The top marginal tax category starts at $373.651. IRS tax comparisons from the Wikipedia". The top 2% would be the highest income earners of the top 10%. Get information (not politicized propaganda), its easy try google.

Here's the historical top tax brackets from Tax Facts. Some of you dwell positively on the history of President Reagan (1981-1989), the top marginal tax bracket for 5 years of that 8 year administration was 50%. (And yes, I posted this tax history prior on a different article, discovery again by google).

Anonymous said...

Facts from you and wikipedia, bloomberg I would never trust. I hope you're joking.

Anonymous said...

I only trust Glenn Beck.

Anonymous said...

and youtube

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 10:11pm, no "you've got to be joking". Let's see, 1)you don't trust IRS tax information, put into comparisons make on Wikipedia; 2) you don't trust Bloomberg, reliable business information; 3)you probably don't trust Tax Facts (history of highest marginal tax brackets since 1913). I suppose you do trust right-wing blog mythology, connected to sales opinion, weird links, and "tin hats".

If you prefer go directly to the IRS, collect and compare that information for yourself. Oh, you probably do not trust government "we the people" information either. I cannot help you. You are not a victim (or a baby), nor does it matter to me whether you think the source information provided is acceptable to you. A reasonable person would be inclined to consider such information reliable; or, if not search further and enlighten us. However, what is not acceptable is delusional thinking-- counter with fact.

Anonymous said...

http://networkedblogs.com/aVNe4

Who edits Wikipedia.

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon 11/22/10, 10:38, 10:39 makes a good point. As I said Anon 10:55am if you don't trust the quoted graph information from the IRS, go directly to the IRS, put that information together and let us know your findings. Then, again, why would you trust any information, especially that from the "Tin Hats"?

mike bell said...

California's economy improving.
Pacifica's economy declining.
S.N.A.F.U. (situation normal - all f'd up)

Anonymous said...

fresh and easy to the rescue!